Explorers discover shipwreck of Milwaukee steamship, which sank in 1886 in Lake Michigan
On a warm summer night more than 130 years ago, a young steamship unknowingly set sail for the last time — only to be found intact hundreds of feet underwater, 40 miles from Holland.
At 135 feet long, the Milwaukee was commissioned by the Northern Transportation Co. of Ohio in 1868 to transport passengers and goods from Ogdensburg, New York, westward to Chicago. The vessel consisted of three decks, two for freight and one for passengers and was crafted to fit the Welland Canal locks between Lake Ontario and Lake Erie.
The Milwaukee's career shifted in 1880 with the expansion of the locks at the Welland Canal and the growth of the railroad system westward, rendering the vessel inefficient. The ship was sold and converted by W.W. Ellsworth into a steam barge by removing some of its upper-level sleeping cabins to create a long, wide deck in the middle that allowed for a wider variety of cargo. Thus began the Milwaukee's new career on Lake Michigan.
On July 9, 1886, the Milwaukee set course for Muskegon following a lumber delivery. At the same time, another nearly identical ship set sail out of Muskegon toward Chicago, carrying a full load of lumber and a fully loaded schooner barge in tow. Conditions on the lake were calm that day, but smoke from forest fires in Wisconsin was blowing across the waters, hindering visibility.
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The lookout on the Milwaukee spotted the lights of the second ship, the C. Hickox, and notified the captain. Meanwhile, on the C. Hickox, the captain onboard noticed the same thing. Protocol called for both ships to slow down, steer right to avoid a collision, and blast their steam whistle to signal the change of course — however, a sudden, thick fog further obstructed their vision. The C. Hickox quickly made a turn, but its steam whistle failed, and the Milwaukee captain could not see or hear the other ship's path.
The ships collided, the C. Hickox hitting the side of the Milwaukee, nearly capsizing the ship. Several people escaped in the lifeboat and another steamship, the City of New York, responded to the distress call and worked with the Hickox to keep the Milwaukee afloat to no avail. The Milwaukee sank almost two hours after the collision.
Today, 137 years later, the Milwaukee was identified 360 feet underwater by explorers with the Michigan Shipwreck Research Association. Using side-scan sonar, MSRA found the ship nearly intact.
“News accounts of the accident, as well as the study of water currents, led us to the Milwaukee after only two days searching,” says Neel Zoss, who first spotted the image on the sonar.
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After discovering the vessel in June 2023, researchers spent the rest of the summer trying to film and accurately identify the wreck. The shipwreck was documented using a remote-operated vehicle made specifically for this project.
For more information on shipwrecks in Michigan, go to the Michigan Shipwreck Research Association's website.
Contact Miriam Marini: mmarini@freepress.com
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Explorers find 137-year-old shipwreck in Lake Michigan
